Blogmas – Top 10 Christmas Songs

19th Dec 201919th Dec 2019 | Suzi Stamp

There is nothing better than whacking on some Christmas tunes while you tick off tasks on your Christmas preparations list and today’s Top 10 is a list of my favourite Christmas tunes!

Warm This Winter – Gabriella Cilmi
Stop the Cavalry – Jona Louie
Fairytale of New York – The Pogues
Last Christmas – Wham
You Make it Feel Like Christmas – Gwen Steffani
The Christmas Walts – Frank Sinatra
Candy cane Lane – Sia
Winter Things – Ariana Grande
My Only Wish – Britney Spears
Christmas Lights – Coldplay

What are some of your favourite Christmas songs? I’d love to hear about them in the comments!

Blogmas – Wishing Wednesday

18th Dec 201917th Dec 2019 | Suzi Stamp

What is on your wish list for Christmas? It’s always something that I am asked by family and friends both for my Birthday and for Christmas and usually I don’t really have any solid ideas of anything that I want and never really have an answer for. Over the past few years, I have compiled lists using Amazon Wish List to add things to that I see and like so that I can answer this question fairly easily, either by scanning the list or just sending the list to people for them to pick something from.

A few things that I am wishing for this year are new earrings, clothing, a necklace, a tin opener and a cheese grater as well as a few items for the home including a multicolour chandelier. On my list are a ton of dinosaur-themed things from jewellery to t-shirts as I love dinosaurs, there are rainbow coloured items and items that have an ethnic feel to them too. I also have on there some fragrance and body care items, makeup and incense/room scent things too. (My Wish List in case you were wondering!)

When we were little, my brothers and I used to be so excited to get the Argos catalogue and prepare our lists for Santa, often circling almost every item on the page! I still get a bit excited to look through Christmas gift guides, especially the Boots and Superdrug ones but the catalogues are becoming a thing of the past as the internet gains even more momentum in the shopping area. A lot of the times, when I stumble over something that I like, which gets added to my list, it is often found because I was looking for something else that I intended to buy and I often wonder, if I wasn’t such a big user of the internet and shopping sites, whether I would have any kind of wish list at all…

What is on your wish list this year? Let me know in the comments! I’d love to hear all about your Christmas wishes!

Blogmas – Tinsel Tuesday

17th Dec 201916th Dec 2019 | Suzi Stamp

I love seeing peoples window displays over Christmas, whether it is a bit of fake snow sprayed to the glass, lights twinkling or an elaborate Christmas scene set up on the windowsil for passers by to see, travelling home from work on a dreary, dark evening and seeing these sights can really make me smile.

I don’t tend to do a lot with my window decorations aside from hanging a net of lights in them but I have seen some really imaginative things done as window displays at Christmas. One of my favourite’s is a scene from the Nativity that is set up in a window not far from where I live, and there is another further along with snow men. In London, in the neighbourhood where my brother lives they have a neighbourhood advent where each day a new window display that has been set up in homes, is unveilled through December which I think is a really lovely idea and brings together the whole community.

Do you ddecorate your windows for Christmas? I’d love to know in the comments!

Blogmas – Merry Monday

16th Dec 201915th Dec 2019 | Suzi Stamp

I know most people will have already got their Christmas decorating under way but I still find it useful to have a list of things to check and refer to as preparations are underway!

I usually make a list of the rooms that I want to decorate with all my festive things so that I can see which rooms will need the most preparation (like a full clean, hoover and dust) and then make a list of the items that I want in those rooms, for example – Living Room – Tree, Fairy lights, hanging decorations etc. Once this is done then decorating can begin!

Things to check before putting decorations up

Check that all fairy lights work before installing anywhere
Check if decorations need batteries – if so what type?
Buy batteries for all decorations that need them (I usually opt for 3 x the amount needed in case they run out)
Check that you have the right equipment – eg, steps or a ladder if you want to reach the ceilings
Cotton thread is always useful for adding to baubles in order to hang them
Do you have the right sort of decoration hangers (eg window suckers or blue-tack)
Scissors are always really useful to keep nearby
Where are decorations going to be placed? Keep in mind that they need to be placed safely, where they won’t fall over or cause a hazard to anyone.

What sort of things do you do in preparation for putting decorations up?

Blogmas – Sparkle Sunday

15th Dec 201914th Dec 2019 | Suzi Stamp

On Christmas Day I like to get up and have breakfast in my pyjamas then take a really long shower and pamper myself, applying a hair mask and exfoliating myself all over. After that is done I spend time moisturising and blow-drying my hair, styling it into curls or fashioning it into a pretty updo. I then take my time applying makeup. I spray myself with my poshest fragrance before getting dressed.

I know this seems like a lot for Christmas day but I like to get dressed up in my most fancy clothes, often a dress and high heels as it makes the day feel even more special. In years past I have bought new clothes for the occasion – a black velvet dress with black sparkly heels one year, a halter neck jumpsuit with diamante detailing around the neckline with glittered silver strappy sandals, a deep red chiffon dress with black over knee boots another year.

This year I have several options, I have a few different dresses which have hardly been worn so I don’t have the pressures of looking for and purchasing something to wear. My options so far are a purple wrap-around dress, a black dress, or a skirt and top combo or even trousers and a top. I have no real idea of what I want to wear but I do know that I will be making an effort with what I wear for the day.

What do you wear on Christmas day? Do you dress up? leave me a comment and let me know!

Blogmas – Surprise Saturday

14th Dec 201914th Dec 2019 | Suzi Stamp

My feelings around Christmas have changed drastically since I was little, no longer do I feel the same levels of excitement and anticipation. I no longer attempt to stay awake to wait for the arrival of Santa, nor do I lay awake and wonder what the day will have in store. But the magic and excitement are still felt in other ways.

I still get excited to spend a day with my family, of seeing their faces when they open the gifts I have chosen for them and for enjoying a dinner that has been lovingly prepared. I still love to curl up on the sofa with a box of chocolates and a good book though have replaced the cup of tea with a glass of red wine.

I find joy in watching carols being performed by local choirs, seeing the kid’s faces light up when they catch a glimpse of Santa at the Christmas Parade and of seeing friends meeting up to share a coffee and chat, putting their feet up and relaxing when shopping.

I love to carefully wrap the presents where once I was eager to unwrap them, of receiving and writing Christmas cards, posting them through friend’s doors for them to find on their return to their homes.

I find a strange sort of comfort in joining the queues of other shoppers as we wait to pay for our goods, of taking the items home and of making the preparations ready for Christmas morning.

What has changed about Christmas since you were small? Do you still get the same feelings about Christmas? I’d love to know your comments!

Blogmas – Festive Friday

13th Dec 201912th Dec 2019 | Suzi Stamp

We are getting so much closer to Christmas that I can almost smell the Christmas dinner cooking! And, today that is what this post is all about…Christmas Dinner!

When I was a kid I remember Mum spending so long preparing and cooking the main course of our dinner, the turkey taking the longest, being roasted and basted and roasted some more until it was perfect. The smells in the house were amazing and my brothers and I would eagerly await the meal.

I still stick to a fairly traditional Christmas dinner and have roast parsnips, carrots and potatoes, mashed potato, peas, Brussel sprouts, cauliflower cheese, broccoli, Yorkshire pudding and gravy. The only thing I switch is the meat, I’m pescatarian (I eat fish but most of my food is around 75% vegetarian with a very slow switch over to vegan) and in years past I have cooked a Quorn Vegetarian Roast which has been a big hit with family and friends.

This year I am cooking Christmas dinner with my friend and then having a dinner cooked by my Mum on Boxing Day which will be shared with my brothers, sister in law and my niece and nephew as well as my Mum and Dad. I have no idea what Mum will be cooking but I know that it will be tasty whatever we have. I do know that it will be along the lines of a traditional dinner though, just meat-free for me. The meal that my friend and I will be preparing and cooking will be fairly traditional too though I have been looking at vegan options for the main course and I can’t wait.

Brussel sprouts, peas and broccoli are my favourite veg and I’d be happy with that and vegetable gravy! I like to just steam those and then serve. The roast root vegetables (parsnips and carrots) always get part roasted in oil with a tiny bit of salt before I remove from the oven and drizzle with maple syrup before they go back into the oven to finish off. I find that the maple syrup adds to the sweetness of the vegetables and gives them a sticky, almost chewy consistency which is lovely.

Most of my energy goes into the preparation of the vegetables – so much peeling and chopping before cooking but, having some music on and a nice glass of gin and tonic help the time to pass quickly! I am really looking forward to all the preparation and cooking of dinner this year!

What are your favourite things to serve for the main meal on Christmas day? I’d love to hear about what you have so let me know in the comments!

Blogmas – Top 10 Christmas Films

12th Dec 201928th Mar 2023 | Suzi Stamp

If you have been reading my Weekly Roundup’s recently you will have read that I have been watching a few Christmas films over the past few weeks. Today for my Blogmas Top 10 I am sharing my favourite Top 10 Christmas films!

Elf
Arthur Christmas
The Snowman
Polar Express
A Christmas Carol
Bad Santa
Call Me Claus
Santa Claus The Movie
Love Actually
Christmas Chronicles

What are some of your favourite Christmas films? I’d love to know of any that I could add to my watch list over the festive season so let me know in the comments!!!!